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Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
When Mrs. Comfort's guests rearrange all of her carefully placed tables and chairs, dinnertime at the family reunion becomes a complete mess, in a playful introduction to the concepts of area and perimeter.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
16 people are currently reading
622 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Burns
173Ìýbooks23ÌýfollowersMarilyn Meinhardt Burns is a mathematics educator and the author of over a dozen children's books on mathematics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
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April 17, 2012Spaghetti and Meatballs for All is written in a landscape style illustrations that are full-bleed and also bordered. The text is incorporated into the images. I feel children will enjoy the learning aspect of the story because it uses fun concepts and you don't think of it as "doing math". There are multiple different races of people. The illustrations are realistic and the children can relate to the story because this story can actually happen to kids. I thought it was helpful that at the end of the story there are three pages that explain the math problems that occur throughout the story.
March 10, 2012
This is a great book to help explore perimeters using real life-scenarios like planning a dinner. In this story, Mrs. Comfort had chosen the most economical way of seating 32 guests. As guests entered, they kept changing her set-up, which changed the number of people that could be seated. Young learners from grades 3 - 5 would enjoy working with the different possibilities of perimeters and how learning about perimeters could affect their own lives.
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November 22, 2012This book is a great one for introducing area and perimeter to students. The characters in the book use tables to make seating for 32 family members. As the book is read, students would use math tiles to arrange the perfect seating for all 32 members. Great way to assess reading comprehension and problem solving. Students will be able to write their reasoning in their math journals.
November 27, 2018
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November 22, 2016
2. BRIEF REVIEW
This book is an educative fiction book. It is a must have book for all elementary math teachers. Sometimes students struggle connecting mathematical concepts to real-life events. This book is a fun and interesting way for students to learn instead of reading out of a math text book.
3. CONTENT AREAS
I would use this book to teach a math class more specifically about area and perimeter. In the book the couple is preparing for a family reunion for 32 people. Their challenge was to calculate how to arrange the tables to sit everyone. I would hand out blocks to students (to represent the tables) and foam circles (to represent the people). Then as I would have them model the different table arrangements made in the story, and have them come up with different arrangements as well.
4. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
a. How is area different than perimeter?
Perimeter is the distance around a figure or adding all the measurements of the sides. The area is found by multiplying length times width.
b. Describe two different ways can you arrange tables and chairs (when detached each can sit 4 people) to sit 24 people?
6 separate tables x4 chairs each= 24
11 tables put together with chairs around= 24
c. If you have four family members, 2 adults and 2 children (each adult can eat 5 meatballs and each kid can eat 3 meatballs) how many meatballs do you need to make?
2x5= 10
2x3= 6
10+6= 16 meatballs
5. WONDERS
I wonder...
a) Why did Mr. Comfort like reading cookbooks in the garden?
b) Why did Mr. and Mrs. Comfort not make a sitting arrangement for their guests?
c) Why didn't Mr. Comfort listen to his wife from the beginning to avoid moving so many tables and chairs?
This book is an educative fiction book. It is a must have book for all elementary math teachers. Sometimes students struggle connecting mathematical concepts to real-life events. This book is a fun and interesting way for students to learn instead of reading out of a math text book.
3. CONTENT AREAS
I would use this book to teach a math class more specifically about area and perimeter. In the book the couple is preparing for a family reunion for 32 people. Their challenge was to calculate how to arrange the tables to sit everyone. I would hand out blocks to students (to represent the tables) and foam circles (to represent the people). Then as I would have them model the different table arrangements made in the story, and have them come up with different arrangements as well.
4. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
a. How is area different than perimeter?
Perimeter is the distance around a figure or adding all the measurements of the sides. The area is found by multiplying length times width.
b. Describe two different ways can you arrange tables and chairs (when detached each can sit 4 people) to sit 24 people?
6 separate tables x4 chairs each= 24
11 tables put together with chairs around= 24
c. If you have four family members, 2 adults and 2 children (each adult can eat 5 meatballs and each kid can eat 3 meatballs) how many meatballs do you need to make?
2x5= 10
2x3= 6
10+6= 16 meatballs
5. WONDERS
I wonder...
a) Why did Mr. Comfort like reading cookbooks in the garden?
b) Why did Mr. and Mrs. Comfort not make a sitting arrangement for their guests?
c) Why didn't Mr. Comfort listen to his wife from the beginning to avoid moving so many tables and chairs?
February 24, 2015
personal reaction- I really enjoyed this book because not only was it teaching the math lesson of division, but it also served up new vocab for students to learn. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. The colors were bold and bright to keep the audiences engaged in the book and wanting to keep on reading. I do this this book is a little more advanced, so i believe it should be read at a slower pace for the students to be able to think about the situation presents in the book. Overall i really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to be used when teacher the math topic of division.
purpose/use in the classroom- This book would be a great book to read in a third grade classroom. This book should be read in a third grade classroom because it starts to introduce the math topic, division. This book would be a excellent test for students during their unit of division. Teachers can read this book slowly aloud in the classroom and have the students themselves figure out the mathematic problem in the book. The teacher can then continue reading to announce the answer. This book is also appropriate for third graders because it uses a more advanced vocab, for example budge, simmer, and fret. Overall this is a wonderful book to read in a third grade classroom because students will be able to test their knowledge on division but at the same time broaden their vocabulary.
purpose/use in the classroom- This book would be a great book to read in a third grade classroom. This book should be read in a third grade classroom because it starts to introduce the math topic, division. This book would be a excellent test for students during their unit of division. Teachers can read this book slowly aloud in the classroom and have the students themselves figure out the mathematic problem in the book. The teacher can then continue reading to announce the answer. This book is also appropriate for third graders because it uses a more advanced vocab, for example budge, simmer, and fret. Overall this is a wonderful book to read in a third grade classroom because students will be able to test their knowledge on division but at the same time broaden their vocabulary.
February 25, 2015
Personal Response:
When I chose this book, I did not originally see on the cover page that it said 'A Mathematical Story'. As I was reading the book I started to realize that there was a lot going on with switching the number of seats and people who could sit at each table for the spaghetti dinner. I started thinking "wow there is not much of a plot other than place settings in this book". When I got to the end of the book it had supplemental learning supplies to help teach math to children through reading a book and I thought to myself "Oh, crap this is not going to work for anything". However, although it did not help much for the assignment at the time I think it is a perfect example of curriculum read aloud type book.
Purpose:
This book is geared towards fifth and sixth grade as a read-aloud. The language and the story are not difficult to read, but the level of the math and understanding could be very confusing for younger grade levels. This would be a great supplement to a math lesson on area and perimeter. It would be a wonderful idea to use this either before or during your lesson to either see what they know before you teach the topic, or assess what they have learned so far somewhere in the middle of the lesson.
When I chose this book, I did not originally see on the cover page that it said 'A Mathematical Story'. As I was reading the book I started to realize that there was a lot going on with switching the number of seats and people who could sit at each table for the spaghetti dinner. I started thinking "wow there is not much of a plot other than place settings in this book". When I got to the end of the book it had supplemental learning supplies to help teach math to children through reading a book and I thought to myself "Oh, crap this is not going to work for anything". However, although it did not help much for the assignment at the time I think it is a perfect example of curriculum read aloud type book.
Purpose:
This book is geared towards fifth and sixth grade as a read-aloud. The language and the story are not difficult to read, but the level of the math and understanding could be very confusing for younger grade levels. This would be a great supplement to a math lesson on area and perimeter. It would be a wonderful idea to use this either before or during your lesson to either see what they know before you teach the topic, or assess what they have learned so far somewhere in the middle of the lesson.
December 7, 2012
I really liked this book because I think it was so funny how Mr. Comfort wouldn't listen to Mrs. Comfort, but in the end everything works out just fine.
Summary: This book is about a man and a woman who are trying to have a family reunion, and 32 people end up coming. As people arrive the man, Mr. Comfort, keeps rearranging seats so that people can sit all together. All the while the woman, Mrs. Comfort, is trying to tell him that it won’t work because she had a specific way to seat everyone. Eventually everyone arrives, and they rearrange the tables and chairs one more time, and everything ends up just the way Mrs. Comfort said it should have been to begin with.
How to use this book with students: This book is geared towards 1st through 3rd graders, and since it is a mathematical story, it can be used for a math lesson. In various parts of the story it says that Mr. & Mrs. Comfort rearranged the chairs to seat the people that kept coming, so you can have your students draw out the tables and then arrange the chairs around the tables, and tell why it would work or why it wouldn’t work.
Summary: This book is about a man and a woman who are trying to have a family reunion, and 32 people end up coming. As people arrive the man, Mr. Comfort, keeps rearranging seats so that people can sit all together. All the while the woman, Mrs. Comfort, is trying to tell him that it won’t work because she had a specific way to seat everyone. Eventually everyone arrives, and they rearrange the tables and chairs one more time, and everything ends up just the way Mrs. Comfort said it should have been to begin with.
How to use this book with students: This book is geared towards 1st through 3rd graders, and since it is a mathematical story, it can be used for a math lesson. In various parts of the story it says that Mr. & Mrs. Comfort rearranged the chairs to seat the people that kept coming, so you can have your students draw out the tables and then arrange the chairs around the tables, and tell why it would work or why it wouldn’t work.
July 17, 2012
Main Characters: Mr. Comfort, Mrs. Comfort
Point of View: 3rd person
Setting:The Comfort Family home
Plot: As the Comfort family prepares for a party serving 32 guests, Mrs. Comfort perfectly arranges 8 tables with 4 chairs per table to accomodate the guests. As the guests arrive, Mr. Comfort and the attendees begin shifting the tables to sit closer together, while ignoring Mrs. Comfort's exclamations that the new setups won't work. Everytime more guest arrive, they change the seating to accomodate them, much to Mrs. Comfort's fustration. As she finally gives up, Mr. Comfort and the rest of the family finally end up back to the original arrangement to seat all 32 guests.
Main Ideas:Planning, Perimeter, Multiplication, Geometry
I would surely recommend this book. The scenario can be recreated in the classroom to give the students real life experience with the concepts being taught in the book. I love how realistic and the situation is, while entertaining and educating. Somehow, I think flipping my classroom around like this would leave me as fustrated as Mrs. Comfort!
Point of View: 3rd person
Setting:The Comfort Family home
Plot: As the Comfort family prepares for a party serving 32 guests, Mrs. Comfort perfectly arranges 8 tables with 4 chairs per table to accomodate the guests. As the guests arrive, Mr. Comfort and the attendees begin shifting the tables to sit closer together, while ignoring Mrs. Comfort's exclamations that the new setups won't work. Everytime more guest arrive, they change the seating to accomodate them, much to Mrs. Comfort's fustration. As she finally gives up, Mr. Comfort and the rest of the family finally end up back to the original arrangement to seat all 32 guests.
Main Ideas:Planning, Perimeter, Multiplication, Geometry
I would surely recommend this book. The scenario can be recreated in the classroom to give the students real life experience with the concepts being taught in the book. I love how realistic and the situation is, while entertaining and educating. Somehow, I think flipping my classroom around like this would leave me as fustrated as Mrs. Comfort!
December 5, 2012
When I was choosing books to read I started to become a little hungry. So, it led me to chose this book, Spaghetti and Meatballs. ( One of my favorite dishes) Anyways, the story was about how Mr and Mrs Comfort decided to have a family reunion. Mr Comfort was famous for his Spaghetti and Meatball dish and decided to start cooking that for everyone. His wife Mrs. Comfort arranged the table. She arranged eight tables and thirty two chairs so there would be enough room for everyone to eat and no one would be left out. That always seems to be a problem at reunion, there are never enough chairs or people are sitting any where they can find. This book was funny and it had me laughing out loud. Kids would definitely enjoy this book and on top of humor, it teaches them an important lesson. It makes them think about area and perimeter and how it is needed in everyday life; not just during math class or tests.
June 3, 2012
This is a fun, but somewhat frustrating story about a large gathering of family and friends for a meal. The configuration of the tables is set for the size of the group, but various people attempt to change the setup to their own satisfaction, much to the irritation of the matriarch of the family.
We see, as the tables are arranged and rearranged, how many people can sit at the table with each configuration. It's an interesting mathematical problem and we liked computing the changing number of place settings.
It's a fun story to read aloud and I liked the additional discussion at the end that provides an easy depiction of the problem and the different ways to add tables to accommodate different table setups with the same number of people. Overall, it's an entertaining and educational story and we enjoyed reading it together.
We see, as the tables are arranged and rearranged, how many people can sit at the table with each configuration. It's an interesting mathematical problem and we liked computing the changing number of place settings.
It's a fun story to read aloud and I liked the additional discussion at the end that provides an easy depiction of the problem and the different ways to add tables to accommodate different table setups with the same number of people. Overall, it's an entertaining and educational story and we enjoyed reading it together.
February 1, 2015
While this book is a good book to discuss mathematical concepts, I thought the concept was a little difficult to follow during the course of reading. I couldn’t exactly understand what math concept was being presented.
Since this was a mathematical story, I was most drawn to the parts of the story which required splitting of the tables and the discussions regarding whether there was enough space or not.
I would suggest the sole focus of this book be on area and/or perimeter. I think this book could be utilized to pose an application about area and perimeter in a real world contextual manner. This could help students distinguish between the differences between area and perimeter, as well as, evaluate how different shapes with the same area could have the different perimeters.
Since this was a mathematical story, I was most drawn to the parts of the story which required splitting of the tables and the discussions regarding whether there was enough space or not.
I would suggest the sole focus of this book be on area and/or perimeter. I think this book could be utilized to pose an application about area and perimeter in a real world contextual manner. This could help students distinguish between the differences between area and perimeter, as well as, evaluate how different shapes with the same area could have the different perimeters.
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November 27, 2011A book to enforce math skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. A couple decides to have a family get together and the wife sets up the tables just right. When people start to show up, though, the husband beings to change the tables around. The husband and wife have to change them every which way until eventually they end up they way there were originally. Students could play around with the desks in the classroom, making different arrangments based on math problems the teacher gives them or do a similar activity on a activboard where students take turns and come up with their own math problems. (How can we split up five tables put together that sit 18 into separate tables that can sit 24?)
May 18, 2012
This delightful story humorously explores area and perimeter in real world context so students discover that math can help solve Mr. and Mrs. Comfort’s seating problem. Marilyn Burns explains and illustrates the rearrangement of tables into different rectangles in terms of area and perimeter in the last three pages for parents, teachers, and adults. She provides alternative arrangements as well as suggestions for extending children’s learning. Students can explore how many table arrangements will fit 32 people. They can compare perimeter and area of different table arrangements and their dimensions. They can also figure out the least expensive way to fit 32 people and write about their findings.
July 20, 2012
I would use this book to teach an activity on ow many different ways could we seat 32 people around tables? I will give each student 8 rainbow tiles, 32 centimeter cubes, and a sheet of blank math paper.I will reread the story stopping at each table arrangement. My students will make the arrangements with their manipulatives. After my students have made all of the table arrangements, they will draw the arrangements on the math paper. For each arrangement they have made, they can make a table using a T-chart. My students will write a rule for determining the number of chairs when given the number of tables.
November 24, 2012
In this book, we learn about area and perimeter. We have this couple who is having a dinner party and the wife knows exactly how she wants to set the tables up. As the guest arrive, tables and chairs are rearranged as she tries to tell them that way will not work. In the end, once all the guest have arrived, the tables and chairs end back up in the same spot. In the classroom, before reading the entire book, you can have students figure out what's the least amount of tables they need or what seating arrangement would mean the most tables. This book shows a real life example of area and perimeter and students will not even notice they're doing the "m" word :)
June 3, 2017
The Comforts decide to have a family reunion. They need to cook spaghetti and meatballs for 32 people. However, when more people show up than they'd expected, they have to figure out to divide and rearrange things so they'll have enough room and food for everyone.
I really like Marilyn Burns, and I enjoyed this little story. The illustrations were adorable and colorful. I love that this book was especially written for math.
I would use this book for 2nd and 3rd graders with division. There are a couple really helpful pages in the back of the book that serve as a script or guide for teachers and parents teaching these concepts.
I really like Marilyn Burns, and I enjoyed this little story. The illustrations were adorable and colorful. I love that this book was especially written for math.
I would use this book for 2nd and 3rd graders with division. There are a couple really helpful pages in the back of the book that serve as a script or guide for teachers and parents teaching these concepts.
December 5, 2010
Introduce 3rd through 5th grade students to mathematical concepts involving standards of measure, and area and perimeter with this fun read. At the story's beginning, students can contemplate how Mr. Comfort will prepares to feed 32 guests equivalently. By the story's conclusion, Mr. and Mrs. Comfort are trying to keep their guests comfortable by rotating table seats throughout the course of the meal. Display book on overhead projector while reading and have students solve for missing variables with drawings or manipulatives.
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June 24, 2011This story is good for showing the relationship between area and perimeter. It is a bit long to read the whole thing as an anticipatory set, so I would recommend having students work along with the story or pause at certain points to let them make predictions. For example, as the tables are shuffled around in the story, have students work with white boards or manipulatives to see how the area and perimeter are changing (as the tables get pushed together, the perimeter decreases, even though the number of tables stays the same).
February 21, 2012
Mr. and Mrs. Comfort have a family reunion in which they invite 32 guests! The guests start arriving and they decide to change up Mrs. Comfort's seating plan. Each time guests arrive, they rearrange tables into different size rectangles so that more people can sit with each other. At the end of the story, they realize that each table needs to be separate in order to fit all of their guests (one single table can sit 4 people, however, if it is part of a long rectangle, it can only seat 2 guests). The story teaches concepts such as perimeter and area.
April 2, 2012
Mr. and Mrs. Comfort plan a family reunion that includes 32 people. They must plan to have enough chairs, tables, and food for everyone, but that doesn't quite turn out how they had planned. This book is great for maybe an older group of children or grade level. It includes addition, multiplication, and division concepts. This book would be great for creating an activity where the students have to plan their own party with table and chairs. They could create a chart and figure out how many of each they need in each table.
July 20, 2012
This book is great because it really shows how area and perimeter can be used in every day life. This book would make a great center activity where children could use manipulatives such as cut outs of tables and people in order to understand the rearrangements and concept. Students could also come up with their own solutions and explain their reasoning using critical thinking. If possible, this would be a great book to actually act out with the class using real tables and the students as manipulatives.
December 6, 2012
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! By Marilyn Burns is a great book for teaching math. Several topics are covered such as multiplication and geometry, without the student realizing they are learning. The book starts out with Ms. Comfort is planning for her 32 guests. She makes seating plans but when the guests start to arrive they try and change it to better their liking. However, their requests will not work for mathematical reasons. This book would be neat to recreate in the classroom, it would be a good hands on activity.
April 1, 2013
In this book, we learn about area and perimeter. We have this couple who is having a dinner party and the wife knows exactly how she wants to set the tables up. As the guest arrive, tables and chairs are rearranged as she tries to tell them that way will not work. In the end, once all the guest have arrived, the tables and chairs end back up in the same spot. In the classroom, before reading the entire book, you can have students figure out what's the least amount of tables they need or what seating arrangement would mean the most tables.
April 7, 2014
This is a book about a couple who is planning to have a family reunion. In the end 32 people end up coming to this reunion. This couple is very concerned about all the guests and their seats. Indeed, this book implies a mathematical logic where students have to imagine the seats and the guest list, however when reading this book I totally wanted to read this book for my students in the beginning of the school. I would read this book explaining and also making an analogy that our room has this amount of chairs and tables and all students are welcome to share the room and be part of learning.
April 7, 2021
My third grade class enjoyed this read aloud more than I had expected. I used it to introduce a math lesson on finding perimeter (how many friends can sit at a table, 2 tables, etc.), which worked perfectly. I was worried the kids would get as frustrated as I was reading phrases like �....said one of Mrs. Comfort’s brother’s daughter’s twin sons,� but I think it was just me. The students enjoyed the absurdity of the plot, and it was nice that they were able to stop and think about the perimeter after each change in table arrangement. Nice math read aloud!
November 23, 2021
This story is about math topics of perimeter using real-life experience. In this story a family is planning a dinner. In this story, the family had to arrange the dinner for 32 people for a reunion. So, the topic of area and perimeter come out. The illustrations were well done and realistic. I thought the illustrations helped to make area and perimeter more understandable. This would be a great introduction book to area and perimeter for class. I think this book would work best with 4-6th graders.
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October 30, 2010This is about Mr. and Mrs. Comfort who were hosting a party. Mr. Comfort liked to cook and Mrs. comfort liked the garden. They were hosting a party for a few people. The tables started out seating eight people which was fine until they changed the arrangements to a different setting. As the people came they change the set up and eventually had to go back to the original setting of eight to a table.
December 5, 2010
This book is teaching children about division and how to divide up things evenly. It teaches children fractions also. The story is about this couple who is trying to arrange table so that everybody can get the same amount of spaghetti and meatball, but no matter what they do it doesn't end up the way it should be. Finally when they are tire of it, they put it back where it was and everything falls into place. Everybody get what they need when put back to normal.
April 26, 2011
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All is a great book to tie into any lesson about perimeter or area, geometry and shapes. Marilyn Burns created a story about a woman trying to throw a dinner party and the struggle to make a seating chart that everyone can understand. Debbie Tilley perfectly mimicked the hectic chaos of the story through the illustrations with emphasis on the characters, humor, white space, and bright colors. Definitely enjoyed this one.
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